1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information display apparatus, an information display method, an imaging apparatus, and an image data sending method for use with the imaging apparatus.
More particularly, the invention relates to an information display apparatus for receiving image data and position information acquired and sent by imaging apparatuses constituting a wireless network, the information display apparatus including an image display section which displays thumbnails of the acquired image data, a map covering the positions of the imaging apparatuses based on imaging apparatus position information, and icons indicating the imaging apparatuses as they are positioned on the map, in such a manner that a director operating the information display apparatus can easily verify the positions of the imaging apparatuses on the network and the images being taken thereby.
The invention further relates in particular to an imaging apparatus for acquiring image data and own position information by measuring its own position, the imaging apparatus sending the acquired own position information paired with the acquired image data onto a wireless network so that a director operating an information display apparatus connected to the network can easily verify the position of the imaging apparatus and the image data acquired thereby.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are cases in which a plurality of cameras (i.e., imaging apparatuses) are used for covering a single event in the field. In such cases, the angles and other settings of the cameras are determined during shooting by the persons operating the cameras based more or less on their experience and intuition. Although mobile phones and/or walkie-talkies have been used for coordination between them, the camera operators have mostly found it difficult to know the position of each camera on site and the image being taken thereby.
Illustratively, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-311301 discloses a multi-hop communication system that performs multi-hop communication using a wireless ad-hoc network. Putting the disclosed multi-hop communication system to use apparently makes it possible to send materials acquired by a camera on the network to a broadcasting station while bypassing obstructions in a line-of-sight path to the station.
As another example, U.S. Published Application No. 2006/0280496 discloses an imaging apparatus devised so that a plurality of such imaging apparatuses exchange image data by wireless communication therebetween. The wireless communication apparently allows the user operating each of these imaging apparatuses easily to verify the images being taken by the other imaging apparatuses and to record these images as desired.